Posts by wiredotter14

Bryan Evans77 said:It’s expensive because of the engineering, the brand name, and the signature... you can find great mice at Maximus $67 that'll last you years and call it a day. Of course, everyone would shop elite if we actually had the cash 🙂
and wouldn't be worrying about whether we can afford a mid-range laptop or whatever. 😉

Just look at my neighbor. He buys an Audi A8, then spends like $4,500 on just new tires with alloy rims (OEM Audi parts) and new bulbs, if I recall correctly. 🙂

I second this.

Sure, there's junk out there, but look,

I've had a Trustworthy "Predator" for four years now, and honestly, it’s the best mouse I’ve ever used.

I've tried Logitech gaming mice for over $60 and I have to admit, they didn't impress me.
Too heavy, and they slip right out of your hand when you're trying to aim at the enemy. 😛

Mine cost me $83 along with my headset, and I'm totally satisfied.
It has 800 and 1200 DPI modes, and I always stick to 800.
The only reason you'd need high-resolution mice is for graphic design or something, but even then, you'd just set them to really slow in Windows.

brightrider8 said:here's my current setup:
- AMD Athlon 5200+
- 4GB DDR2
- Zalman 450W power supply
- Radeon X1950 pro

what kind of GPU would be good for gaming without breaking the bank (max $267)? I prefer ATI, but if NVIDIA is better in this price range, just say the word. Also, I don't know how many options I have at stores in San Diego.
One more thing 😛 how much of a difference will I see in something like Call of Duty 4 at 1280x1024 with the same settings using a $200 card versus a $267 card?
thanks for the help

In principle, you'll see the details based on what you set them to, but you won't be able to run games on max high settings with a 1950

I don't want to end up recommending a 4850 to every single person 🤷, but honestly, it's probably the best option for $250 in its class, and you shouldn't have any trouble finding one.
Just don't go chasing those $250 prices at every shop; that's just what some of the places listed on ZGu
(nabava.net)
No clue what they carry in San Diego

Thomas Jones82 said:so what about the 4870?? Not worth grabbing??

To be blunt, if you've got $17 more, the 4870 is a much better bet.
The only catch is they won't be around much longer, so if you were planning on running Crossfire down the road, finding a pair will be tough.
But strictly comparing the 4870 and the 5770? Definitely go 4870.

Otherwise, the new 4850 with 512MB DDR3 is sitting at $250
(The 1GB version isn't actually any better, trust me)
I think for that price, it's a killer card.

And if you throw two of them in Crossfire, they perform right up there with a 5850—which isn't cheap.
If you're willing to shell out $100 more than your 1200 limit, this is my top recommendation.

EDIT: If you're shopping used, hunt down a 4890.

darkowl72 said:just stick with ATI... newer series... because of the HDMI audio support, which NVIDIA lacks... otherwise you're stuck running extra cables just for sound...

pretty sure the whole 4xxx series handles audio over HDMI, right?

Austin Smith35 said:Hey,

Looking for some advice on which GPU would fit this build best:

Core 2 duo E6300 (1.86 MHz)
3 GB DDR2
500W

Mainly just want to watch movies on my plasma screen through the PC.

Thanks in advance!

I reckon an ATI 4350, 5450, 4550, or 4650
would all work fine for that, and they're all under $133

EDIT

An 9500GT would do the job too.

Man, now I'm actually wondering if it'll be a tragedy when they finally vanish from the market
I've got one sitting right here, and it would make for a killer Crossfire setup

Casey Long2 said:The Radeon 4850 was sitting around $180 or so when it first dropped, which was what... almost two years ago now? Somewhere in the summer of 2008, if I recall correctly (I grabbed mine that fall). They haven't been making them for a while; right now, it's all about the 5xx0 series.

Don't expect the 5850 price to budge. Maybe it'll drop by $30 once retailers start dumping old stock when the next generation hits.
Prices don't drop during a recession (at least not here in the States).

Wait, how can they not be in production when stores are still packed with them?

Or can you actually link slots 1 and 3 using that Crossfire bridge they give you?

And does it even matter that the slot colors are different?
Why are two of them blue while one is beige?

Bryan Evans77 said:http://cgi.ebay.com/ASUS-ATI-Long-Fl...#ht_2661wt_911

All three have the same clearance... if those GPUs don't fit, you've got your answer, which is that link I sent...

Fine, maybe they are at the same distance
I misread things slightly

But that link you sent me is freaking overpriced

A few questions...

When are they going to stop making the 4850?
What was the launch price back then in USD?

The 5850 is sitting at over $200 right now.
Any idea what the price tag will look like in 6 or 12 months?

I've got an ASUS P6T SE motherboard.

It has three PCIe slots, all labeled as x16.
But the first two are blue and spaced out such that you can't fit two beefy cards in there together.

The third slot is tucked under a PCI slot—it's beige and actually has decent spacing.
How does that one differ from the first two blue ones?

And if I plug cards into the 1st and 3rd slots, can I actually link them up?
Seems like too much distance for a Crossfire bridge.
Or do you absolutely have to use the first and second slots?
(With that blower cooler on the 4850, it seems impossible.)

thanks, solid chart

They clearly put some work into the power consumption; both pull less than a Radeon HD 4850

Anyone know the power draw on a 5850?

crimsonstag84 said:Yeah, 2x18A. Should hold up until I can grab an HD 4870 or a GeForce GTS 250 to replace this old 8600 GT🙂

I'd suggest going for the 4890. It isn't much more than the 4870 (pretty sure you can find them for under $433) and it’s a significant step up

wiredmarlin5 said:The PSU puts out 480W, the GPU pulls about 130W... it's simple math. 🙂

I've got a 4890 with a 190W max power draw.

The 5850 doesn't need anything less than that.
Newer processors can pull up to 150W.

In my opinion, anything from Corsair at 400W and up gets the job done. Personally, I’m running a 650W unit—just in case I decide to pull the trigger on a Crossfire setup down the road.

Anyway, quick question.

What’s the actual difference between using two dedicated 6-pin PCI-E connectors versus just slapping a dual Molex adapter on there?

I've got two 6-pin connectors from Corsair for my 4890, but my old rig—which was basically just high-grade junk—didn't have a single PCIe connector on the 4850.

ugh, thanks

here's
the Biostar TP43D2-A7 model
I guess that's it.

Yeah, I get it. I know I need a better PSU.

But can you actually overclock on a BIOSTAR board?

And seriously, what kind of percentage boost am I looking at for FPS if I try to OC using just stock coolers?

MB-BIOSTAR (not sure on the exact model since the PC is still under warranty and sealed)
I’m only planning to crack this thing open if I actually commit to overclocking it with an aftermarket cooler.
PSU—some weak no-name unit (maybe 400W or something in that ballpark?)

CPU-Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
VGA-Gigabyte 4850

4GB DDR2 (800MHz), no clue on the brand

How much overclocking can I realistically squeeze out of this using just the stock coolers?
And is there even any point in overclocking this GPU? I've seen reviews where the FPS barely budges, like going from 40 to 42.

Can you actually do anything useful with a BIOSTAR board?

Would I run the VGA through ATI Overdrive?
Any tips for the E8400?
BIOS?
What else do I need to get this done?

Look, I'm not trying to act like an expert here, but I know what I've been through.

I dealt with dermatitis on my arm for years before a while back.

After rubbing on some 0.1% Protopic for just a few days, the thing that had been screwing me over for 15 years finally cleared up.

I was actually talking about that absolute beast that started this whole thread.

I have no clue how to get them to blink. I guess you’d have to buy some kind of controller or a custom module.

Or just grab a cheap Christmas light string and solder some LEDs onto it.

Honestly, it might be easier to just head down to a Target, grab 200 fairy lights, and wrap them around everything... the CPU, the GPU... weave them through the HDD bays.